Hamlet

The Royal Shakespeare Company's 2008 staging of Hamlet, starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) as Hamlet and RSC-trained Patrick Stewart as his murderous uncle Claudius, is one of the most acclaimed interpretations of Shakespeare's play in the last generation. The cast—which also includes Penny Downie as Gertrude, Oliver Ford Davies as Polonius, and Mariah Gale as Ophelia—was reunited in 2009 for this faithful BBC version. Tennant is startling as the Prince of Denmark, whose brooding insolence tips into ruthless vengeance; he is mad in both senses of the word, sporting humor with an aggressive edge. Stewart is full of concern for his nephew and stepson until cold resolution overtakes his solicitousness. Although performed in modern dress and set in contemporary times, the language is all Shakespeare and the text is complete (or as near as can be, given the various folio editions). The darkly gleaming sets are handsome but somewhat alienating (a feeling intensified by closed-circuit cameras that keep Hamlet under surveillance), while the vast spaces create a openness when intimacy might have served the small screen better, but ultimately the play's the thing and this is an invaluable record of a landmark production. DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary, and a behind-the-scenes featurette that looks at the transition from stage to screen, as well as the creation of the Elsinore sets on the campus of the disused St. Joseph's College. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)